The present invention relates to information processing and, mainly, to information processing for adjusting benefits between a business organization which, e.g., manufactures electronic devices, and a business organization which, e.g., manufactures expendables for the electronic device.
Along with the development of digital techniques, electronic devices such as a digital camera, printer, and the like have prevailed. As electronic devices have prevailed, demands for expendables used in those electronic devices (e.g., print paper, ink, and the like in case of a digital camera) increase.
A business organization which, e.g., manufactures electronic devices benefits by vending electronic devices, and a business organization which, e.g., manufactures expendables benefits by vending expendables.
On the other hand, the demand for expendables often depends on the value of an electronic device. As an electronic device is rated higher and is sold in larger quantities, the demand for expendables increases, and the benefit of the business organization which, e.g., manufactures expendables increases. Hence, the benefit of the business organization which, e.g., manufactures expendables is deeply related to an electronic device that uses the expendables.
However, a business organization which, e.g., manufactures electronic devices is not always the same as a business organization which, e.g., manufactures expendables. In this case, although a business organization which, e.g., manufactures electronic devices contributes to an increase in benefit of a business organization which, e.g., manufactures expendables since their electronic device is rated high, and the demand for expendables increases consequently, it has nearly no trade-off after the sales of the electronic device.
For this reason, a business organization which, e.g., manufactures electronic devices often limits expendables that can be used in their electronic device to those of a specific business organization. In this case, the types of expendables that can be used for each electronic device are limited, resulting in inconvenience for users. Also, a business organization which, e.g., manufactures expendables must deal with a specific business organization, thus disturbing expansion of their sales scale. On the other hand, since products that can use identical expendables do not prevail, the range of user""s choice is narrow.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and system which can solve the aforementioned problems by adjusting the benefits between a business organization which, e.g., manufactures electronic devices, and a business organization which, e.g., manufactures expendables, an electronic device suitable for such method and system, and the like.
According to the present invention, there is provided an information processing method using a cartridge which is detachably attached to an electronic device, carries expendables of the electronic device, and has a storage medium in which information that specifies a business organization that provides the electronic device or a business organization associated with that business organization is written by the electronic device when the expendable is consumed by the electronic device, comprising:
the recovery step of recovering the cartridge with the storage medium in which the information is written from a user;
the acquisition step of acquiring the information written in the storage medium of the recovered cartridge; and
the totalization step of totalizing quantities of expendables consumed for respective business organizations on the basis of the acquired information.
According to the present invention, there is also provided an information processing system using a cartridge which is detachably attached to an electronic device, carries expendables of the electronic device, and has a storage medium in which information that specifies a business organization that provides the electronic device or a business organization associated with that business organization is written by the electronic device when the expendable is consumed by the electronic device, comprising:
acquisition means for acquiring the information written in the storage medium of the recovered cartridge; and
totalization means for totalizing quantities of expendables consumed for respective business organizations on the basis of the acquired information.
According to the present invention, there is also provided an information processing system using a cartridge which is detachably attached to an electronic device, carries expendables of the electronic device, and has a storage medium in which information that specifies a business organization that provides the electronic device or a business organization associated with that business organization is written by the electronic device when the expendable is consumed by the electronic device, comprising:
an acquisition device for acquiring the information written from the cartridge with the storage medium in which the information is written; and
a totalization device which is connected to the acquisition device to communicate with each other, receives the information acquired by the acquisition device, and totalizes quantities of expendables consumed for respective business organizations on the basis of the received information.
According to the present invention, there is also provided an information processing system using a cartridge which is detachably attached to an electronic device, carries expendables of the electronic device, and has a storage medium in which information that specifies a business organization that provides the electronic device or a business organization associated with that business organization is written by the electronic device when the expendable is consumed by the electronic device, comprising:
a recovery device which is equipped to be used by everyone, and recovers the cartridge with the storage medium in which the information is written; and
a totalization device connected to the recovery device to communicate with each other,
the recovery device comprising acquisition means for acquiring the information from the cartridge, and
the totalization device comprising:
totalization means for receiving the information acquired by the recovery device, and totalizing quantities of expendables consumed for respective business organizations on the basis of the received information.
According to the present invention, there is also provided an electronic device which comprises an electronic device main body, and a cartridge detachably attached to the electronic device main body,
the cartridge comprising expendables consumed by the electronic device, and a storage medium for recording information,
the electronic device main body comprising write means for writing information in the storage medium, and
the write means writing at least information that specifies a business organization which provides the electronic device or a business organization associated with that business organization.
According to the present invention, there is also provided an electronic device to which a cartridge comprising expendables and a storage medium for storing information is detachably attached, comprising:
write means for writing information in the storage medium, and
the write means writing at least information that specifies a business organization which provides the electronic device or a business organization associated with that business organization.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a cartridge detachable from an electronic device, comprising:
expendables of the electronic device, and a storage medium for storing information, and
the storage medium being written with information that specifies a business organization for providing the electronic device which consumes the expendables or a business organization associated with that business organization.
In the present invention, the electronic device includes, e.g., a digital camera, printer, electronic cleaner, car navigation system with a ticket issuance function, and the like.
The expendables are, for example: print paper, films, inks, toners, and the like for a digital camera; print paper, inks, toners, and the like for a printer; a dust bag for an electronic cleaner; and ticket paper for a car navigation system with a ticket issuance function.
As a storage medium of the cartridge, e.g., a magnetic storage medium, semiconductor memory, and the like can be used.
The business organization which provides the electronic device includes, e.g., a company which manufactures electronic devices, a company which sells electronic devices, and the like. The business organization associated with the business organization includes, e.g., a parent company of a company which manufactures or sells electronic devices, affiliated companies, and the like. The business organization may be specified by, e.g., a business department in place of a company.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.